Calabria Esrog Dealer: ‘All Will Be Well’

A New York businessman and former Etrog vendor has become one of the few voices of optimism this month, as those who involved in distributing and selling the prized citron express fears there won’t be enough to meet the demand this year.

A difficult winter in Italy this past January destroyed much of the Etrog crop, creating havoc in the market for the upcoming Jewish holiday of Sukkot, when Jews use the fruit for ritual purposes. Some maintain a tradition to use an Etrog (or “Esrog” as Ashkenazi Jews call it) only from the Calabria region of Italy, one of the areas that was hardest-hit by winter storms.

Enter real estate business owner Rabbi Mendy Lipsker, who worked as an etrog distributor and vendor for more than 25 years, and who told JewishPress.com on Thursday that he believes “all will be well.”

It’s not that the crop wasn’t damaged: Lipsker confirms that a conversation with his “Esrog farmer” in Calabria, validated all the reports. “At least 70 percent of this year’s crop was indeed destroyed this past winter,” he says. “But in my experience, even the non-Jewish farmers admit it’s all in God’s hands. They may have a surprise, and a new crop may soon have beautiful, clean Esrogim,” Lipsker points out.

However, Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidim are still facing a difficult season, he acknowledges. “The bigger Esrogim that Chabadnikim are accustomed to. . . there definitely will be a problem because there is not enough time for those to grow big,” he admits.

“My prediction is that the smaller Esrogim will at the end work out. . . But no one knows for sure,” he adds.

8 Comments

1.Moishe pipek wrote:

2.Zelig wrote:

It sounds like mendy Lipskier has not traveled to italy this year. Rabbi lazar, a respected Shliach for almost 50 years has give his first hand account of the situation on the feild in italy, in which he said it’s a very bad situation.

4.Think people! wrote:

5.Italian esrogim wrote:

There will be only enough Italian esrogim for those who want them because that’s the chabad minhag .for all the rest there will be plenty of isreali ones.no one has to pay more then they want to on a esrog.but to not belief the esrogim dealers that are in Italy is just plain stupid .